1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to manufacturing and, in particular, to drilling holes. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for automatically drilling holes.
2. Background
In manufacturing aircraft, numerous holes may be drilled in aircraft parts to assemble the parts to form the aircraft. For example, holes may be drilled in skin panels for fasteners to attach the skin panels to spars and/or ribs for the frame of the aircraft. As another example, holes may be drilled in various structures and substructures to receive fasteners to assemble and secure those parts to each other. Holes may be drilled in metal and/or composite parts for the aircraft.
Oftentimes, in assembling an aircraft, holes may be drilled in parts located in confined spaces. These spaces may be difficult to access and/or inaccessible by many automated or robotic processes. Currently, robotic drilling systems may be used for drilling holes on external mold line surfaces, such as skin panels.
With more confined areas, such as inside a wing box, holes may be drilled in these and other structures using portable drilling tools. These tools may be operated by human operators and may be powered using air motors.
With confined areas, access to perform drilling operations may still be difficult even while using portable drilling tools operated by human operators. Further, the ergonomics also may be less than ideal. For example, an operator may need to reach a location that requires positioning a handheld tool that requires the operator to be off balance. Further, manipulation of the tool may be more difficult because of the weight and air hoses attached to a portable drill. The process of assembling an aircraft also may require more time and increase the expense because data about the holes may not be automatically collected by the human operator when operating handheld tools. This data often is collected after the holes have been drilled.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least some of the issues described above, as well as possibly other issues.